“Sunshine List” comes out, shows local employees making over $100,000

The annual “Sunshine List” is out and it includes 20 staff members from the Town of Amherstburg making over $100,000 per year.

That list includes 14 members of the Amherstburg Police Service, a former chief administrative officer and another employee no longer with the town. The former CAO is Pamela Malott, who resigned the post last April but continues to be under the town’s employ. Her $115,853.15 ranked her as the sixth highest total amongst Amherstburg employees.

“This is a result of a legal agreement the town made last year,” said CAO Mike Phipps. He added the town pays Malott and recovers a portion through insurance with the amount reported on the list being the gross amount.

At the top of the local list is Police Chief Tim Berthiaume, who earned $141,693.24 in 2013. Deputy Chief Pat Palumbo ranked second at $131,324.96. Third on the list was Sgt. Scott Riddell at $125,796.83 while the fourth highest total, according to the Ministry of Finance’s list, was former public works manager Lou Zarlenga at $117,277.07. Sgt. Don Brown was next with a salary of $116,948.57.

After Malott came Sgt. Matt Capel-Cure at $114,808.72 while the eighth highest salary amongst municipal employees was Sr. Const. Nathan Harris at $111,094.81. Following Harris was director of recreation and culture Dean Collver at $110,896.88 while director of corporate and legal services Brenda Percy checked in at $109,540.40.

Next on the list was Sr. Const. Rory Bennet at $108,297.63 while Sgt. Mike Cox followed at $107,536.97. Treasurer Paul Beneteau ranked thirteenth at $107,395.26 while Sgt. Jim Saxon followed Beneteau with a listed salary of $105,786.80. Const. Paul Smith is next on the list with a salary of $104,756.23 and he is followed by Sr. Const. Margaret O’Brien at $104,731.85.

Rounding out the list from Amherstburg were Sr. Const. Tim Ford at $102,143.67 and Fire Chief Randy Sinasac at $101,050.02.

By comparison, the only other town in Essex County with a municipal police force – LaSalle – had a total of 30 people on the Sunshine List with 16 of those being police officers.

Seventeen employees with the County of Essex made the list, with the bulk (11) being with Essex-Windsor EMS. County CAO Brian Gregg topped the county’s portion of the list with a 2013 salary of $182,492.22 while director of council services/clerk Mary Brennan had a salary of $146,114.99 listed for last year. The county’s third highest earner was former Sun Parlour Home administrator Bill MacDonald at $125,792.14.

Next on the list for the county was director of corporate services/treasurer Rob Maisonville with a salary of $121,850.98. He was followed by county engineer Tom Bateman, whose salary was $121,734.60. EMS District Chief Tyson Brohman followed at $121,734.60 while outgoing EMS chief Randy Mellow earned $121,287.78. Eighth on the county’s list was EMS deputy chief Chris Grant at $120,941.93.

Greg Schlosser was next with a 2013 salary of $114,869.88 while EMS District Chief Joe Nardone was tenth with a salary listed at $112,496.91. Eleventh was EMS District Chief Denis McFarlane at $111,678.27 and McFarlane was followed by EMS District Chief John Fast at $110,571.31.

EMS District Chief John Rutgers had a salary of $109,881.64 with EMS District Chief Michael Jacobs being next with a salary of $106,085.74. EMS District Chief Clayton Massender had a 2013 salary of $104,852.26 while EMS District Chief Shawn Davis’ 2013 salary was listed at $104,345.79. EMS District Chief John Jacobs’ salary was listed at $103,642.48.

Among the list of educators on the list were General Amherst principal Hazel Keefner ($128,583.60), St. Thomas of Villanova principal Pat Hickson ($124,286.48) and Western Secondary principal Melissa MacIntyre ($115,284.40).

Western vice principal Christine Walls had a 2013 salary of $113,250.

Elementary school principals also made the list. Malden Public School principal Cheryl Barber earned $121,629 a year ago while Amherstburg Public principal Barb Chevalier earned $120,712.40. The latter’s vice principal John Hoy earned $104,926.72. Anderdon Public principal Kerry Green-Duren’s 2013 salary was listed as $121,358.04.